This Brings Tears to My Eyes My Sacrifice (Creed)
by Reader's Inflammation
Summary: A team of operatives, led by A, is caught in a trap.


"Carlos! Carlos, what's wrong? What happened?" Tamika asked in rapid succession as Carlos's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. He held his head in his hands and burst into tears.

"We couldn't get him out, Tamika," Carlos wailed. "He just wouldn't let us! I was gonna stay w-with him, but—but—"

When she saw that Carlos couldn't continue with the story, Dana stepped in. She rubbed circles on Carlos's back as he buried his face into Dana's shoulder. Tamika looked at her expectantly.

"The mission into Strex Corp started fine," she began. "But when we got the information on the USB and we made to get out, things took a turn for the worst. . . .

* * *

Carlos held on tightly to the USB drive that they had just plugged into Strex's main computer and downloaded their newest plans for building in Night Vale. He hadn't had time to look at them very closely, but he saw that they planned to place a Strex Corp building on every street corner, next to every house, everywhere in town possible. Even some places currently impossible, that they were planning to demolish, like the Ralph's grocery store. Tamika had sent their team of operatives in to retrieve the plans for the next stage of the revolution, which is on a need-to-know basis. Cecil knew. Carlos didn't.

But Carlos trusted Cecil and, more importantly, Tamika, so he went along with Cecil and the team and the plan. Break in, get the plans, get out. Quickly. Steps one and two were done, but step three was looking more and more difficult by the minute.

Once the team had retrieved the plans, they rushed down one of the back hallways. They only began to sprint when they heard alarms blaring overhead.

"Go!" Cecil shouted as he ran past the others and took point instead of backing up the rear. "Follow me. We have to go down."

Dana nodded and moved to the back to make sure they weren't being followed while Carlos and Rachelle gave each other a confused look before following behind Cecil.

"The employees never go down here," Cecil said as he opened up a hatch on the floor at the end of the hallway. "They're too afraid to."

"Shouldn't we be afraid to go down there then if they are?" Carlos asked.

"Probably," Cecil answered honestly. "But right now, it's our only hope of getting everyone out."

"Do you know what's down there?" Rachelle questioned.

"No, nobody on Tamika's team has been down there to see," Dana told her, not so reassuringly.

"What if it's dangerous?" Carlos asked them, but Cecil had had enough.

"Look!" he shouted. "This is the only way that we can get out. It's either this or get captured and we cannot afford to lose any of you. Understand?"

The two scientists nodded and climbed down the rickety ladder after Cecil, Dana following them. She closed the hatch and the four descended into darkness. Cecil pulled out a flare from his bag and lit it. The pathway lit up before them.

The tunnel ahead looked like an extremely old mine shaft except without the railway tracks. It was narrow and seemed especially long with torch holders on the walls without any torches in them. The walls were crumbling, a few of the torches were on the ground trampled into rubble, and the entire tunnel did not seem very stable.

"Be careful," Cecil warned as they trudged ahead. The team walked for a minute or two when they all heard the distinct squeak of the hatch that they had come through being opened.

Dana turned to Cecil quickly. "I thought they never came down here."

Cecil pushed Carlos and Rachelle in front of them before pushing Dana forward as well. "I guess they've changed their minds," he said as they all started sprinting down the tunnel.

"How long is it? Where's the exit?" Carlos asked Cecil as they kept running in the direction that they hoped led to freedom.

"No clue," he answered. "Guess we'll have to find out."

The team ran as quickly as they could down the corridor until they came upon a large metal door. Next to the door frame was a large lever in the up position. Cecil motioned for everyone to stop while he went to inspect the door. Carlos followed behind him.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked.

"No," Cecil answered calmly. He turned his head towards Carlos and, with a small yet sad smile, Cecil pulled the lever downwards. The door slid upwards into the ceiling and the team stepped inside. They all still heard the employees rushing down the corridor behind them.

"Right up ahead is the way out of here," Cecil told them. "I have to stay behind this door and work the lever to keep the employees off your trail."

Everyone stopped looking around and turned towards their leader.

"What?" Dana asked angrily. "This wasn't the plan!"

"Well, the plan's changed!" Cecil shot back.

"Then let me stay behind and close it," she countered. Rachelle chimed in with the same demand.

"Cecil," Carlos interrupted, grabbing onto his arm. "Please, there has to be a way to get everyone out."

"There isn't," he deadpanned. "You all have to get the USB to Tamika. I have to stay behind because I'm not needed anymore. I've trained Dana; she'll take my place as operations leader."

"No!" Dana cried out. "You know so much more than me. You have experience."

"You'll get experience," Cecil told her softly. "But you have to get out of here first."

Dana looked at her leader for a second, unperturbed by the sounds of running footsteps coming closer. She nodded and began ushering everyone towards the exit.

"Come on!" she told them hurriedly. "We have to get out now!"

"I'm staying with Cecil."

Both Dana and Cecil spun around and the latter shouted, "No, Carlos. You're not. You are leaving _right now_."

Carlos made to say something back, but the employees were visible down the corridor, shouting at them to stop where they are. Cecil and Dana shared a look before he nodded. All in an instant, Cecil jumped back over the metal door's threshold next to the lever and pushed it back up while Dana grabbed both of Carlos's arms and pulled him towards the group. The heavy door fell shut with a bang and Carlos shouted after Cecil.

"No!"

Dana kept pulling Carlos back, following the group through the back door. They burst out and sprinted through the desert back to the base.

* * *

"We didn't have enough time to come up with another plan," Dana finished. Carlos had since then ceased sobbing and was staring across the room at the door, as if he were expecting Cecil to walk through it.

"Thank you, Dana," Tamika said and she turned to look at Rachelle, who was standing behind Dana and was looking sadly at Carlos. "Thank you, Rachelle. You both did good."

The two women nodded to Tamika and took their leave.

Tamika turned back to Carlos who held his hand open, palm up, producing the USB. Tamika looked at it for a second before carefully taking it and placing it into her pocket. She took a deep breath.

"I am so sorry about Cecil, Carlos," she started. Carlos looked unfazed. "But what he did was heroic. He saved his team; he saved you. Because he loves you."

"I know," Carlos said quietly. "I love him, too."

"I know you do," Tamika lamented. "Come on. Let's get you back to your room. You can get some rest."

Carlos nodded solemnly and followed Tamika out of the room.

* * *

A team of operatives, led by A, is caught in a trap. The only way to get out is if one person sacrifices themself. Everyone volunteers, but A insists on doing it themself. Later, when everyone else is safe, B bursts into tears. When asked what is wrong, they explain "A was in charge. A would have had to choose which one of us died. But A couldn't stand to. So they sacrificed themself."


End file.
